Reducing reproductive health disparities among Latino youth living in rural communities

Project Summary/Abstract Teenage pregnancy (TP) is largely unintended and can lead to adverse health, educational, and economic outcomes for both the mother and the child. Although TP rates have declined in the U.S. over several decades, disparities persist. Birth rates among Latino teens in the U.S. are 1.5 times higher than the national average and more than 2 times higher in rural areas compared to rural White teens. Latinos settling in rural areas represent the largest and fastest growing groups in rural America. Best practices for implementing evidence-based TP prevention programs in these unique communities remain largely unknown. Thus, a critical need exists to develop and evaluate a set of responsive interventions tailored specifically to these vulnerable teens. Based on our previous work demonstrating the need for TP prevention interventions tailored to meet needs in this unique population, we will use an implementation framework to build upon Cuídate (Take Care), an evidence-based, culturally responsive intervention that has been shown to decrease sexual risk behaviors among urban Latino youth. Following identification of key factors needed for the development of an acceptable TP prevention intervention for rural Latino teens, we will co-develop an intervention that best fits the community’s unique needs and context. We will conduct a one arm feasibility trial to evaluate acceptability and practicality of the co-created intervention. The proposed investigation will improve scientific knowledge in disparities in TP prevention by addressing the context of TP occurring among emerging Latino populations embedded in rural communities. We will comprehensively incorporate community and stakeholder guidance into a co-created and novel intervention that optimally fits local needs of these unique new rural populations. Study findings will inform the development of a larger hybrid efficacy implementation study, supported by an R01 submission during the K23 award period. This training and research plan are consistent with the mission of the National Institutes of Health.